Student & Campus Life (SCL) inspires transformation in all Cornell students on their journey of individual, academic and personal evolution. Our division is comprised of leading student affairs experts who support our campus on pressing student life matters including public service, health, wellbeing, connection and belonging, residential living, food services, sports, recreation, career services, and student activities and organizations including sorority and fraternity life. We provide support and services to roughly 25,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on multiple campuses in the U.S. and abroad.
The Office of Housing and Residential Life (HRL) is committed to providing a residential experience of the highest quality for each of our residents. This includes providing a safe, comfortable and purposeful living and learning environment aligned with university values and learning goals. Through partnerships with university faculty and staff, we foster students’ personal growth, critical thinking, intellectual engagement, and social responsibility that is designed to educate, challenge, and develop our students.
The Residential Life (RL) live-on team includes 21 Residence Hall Directors (RHDs) and approximately 225 student leaders. The Residence Hall Directors are directly supervised by Assistant Directors with functional oversight by the Associate Directors and the Director. Together, this team supports approximately 7,500 first-year and upper-level live-on students as well as graduate and professional students and their families. Below are details of the different types of communities:
First-year/Upper-level
Our first-year and upper-level student housing focuses on transitioning students as they begin or continue through their Cornell and college journey. Communities have a variety of configurations and sizes, but all are co-ed (all gender) except for one building which is open to female and non-binary-identified students only. Regardless of size, all residence halls are supportive communities for residents to learn, develop, and come together in a variety of ways.
• You can find details on all our residential communities by visiting: https://scl.cornell.edu/residential-life/housing/campus-housing
• You can find information specifically for first-year communities by visiting: https://scl.cornell.edu/residential-life/housing/campus-housing/first-year-undergraduates-campus-housing
• You can find information specifically for upper-level communities by visiting: https://scl.cornell.edu/residential-life/housing/campus-housing/upperlevel-undergraduate-campus-housing
Program Houses
Program Houses are themed- living communities which focus on a variety of interests and identities. These close-knit communities have a high level of involvement with regular events, programming, and outreach opportunities, often in collaboration with academic department organized student leaders and affiliated alumni.
• More information regarding our program houses can be found at this link: https://scl.cornell.edu/residential-life/housing/campus-housing/upper-level-undergraduates/program-houses